The Public Education Foundation's new campaign features Australian household names - scroll down to find out more.

A fractured nation, broken funding

Hello, friends.

Our nation remains fractured, not only by COVID-19, but also by the financial capacities of our communities. It is unfair that our nation is still unable to identify our most needy and provide greater support.

Community engagement and financial support is at an all-time low in schools because fetes, BBQs, and other events cannot be safely run - yet the funds are needed more than ever.

This fundraising is essential for many schools, yet there is limited support today. These aren’t professional fundraisers, these are volunteers working for positive outcomes to provide the best schooling experiences possible.

Adversity increases government school enrolments

And so we see non-government school businesses unable to adequately maintain their high levels of incumbent funding requirements, which leads some of those families to transition to government schools.

This is not only because of financial stress, but more importantly because the government school sector maintains a high standard. Some voices will say that the government schools cannot support the increased enrolments, and ACSSO says they can... but would have been in a much better position if funded appropriately.

Overfunding continues to support exclusion

ACSSO continues its call for the federal government to stop overfunding non-government schools and to properly fund our government schools.

The claim is that non-government schools must be funded to provide 'choices' for taxpayers. But with the additional fees set by non-government schools, despite high public funding, they are no choice at all for many families.  The funding becomes means of social and economic exclusion and reinforcement of privilege. What's actually being funded is lack of choice.

Remember: Federal funding is split between 80% for non-government and 20% for government schools. There is no way to justify this inequity.

Alert to risks

Many in our nation were anticipating the end of our restrictions, yet as we stare down Term 3, we think of our Melbourne and Sydney communities. Indeed, as I prepare to send my children to school this week, I am completely mindful of the risks in my area, but more so of these currently exposed regions.

It is again a stark reminder that our schools must be adequately cleaned and protected to ensure the safety of our children and school staff. This is a clear reminder of the hidden workers at our schools, the cleaning staff. ACSSO recognises the vitally important jobs they perform to keep our schools safe.

We must celebrate what's great

There has been no better time to identify school community leaders, be it staff or volunteers. ACSSO celebrates great community supporters, and with our ongoing CYBG (Caught You Being Great) campaign, ACSSO welcomes all submissions, year around, to let us who you think has been of absolute value in your community.

There are no restrictions on who can be celebrated, send us an email about anyone who you see helping and providing support above and beyond expectations.

Please look after yourself, and others in your community.

Andrew Bidwell
Chair
Australian Council of State School Organisations

July 2020

Public Education Foundation

The Public Education Foundation’s new campaign is underway, recognising public education as the cornerstone of Australian society. By focusing on the reflections of great Australians as they talk about their experience of public education, the campaign aims to shine a light on the core values enshrined in our state schools.

These core values - excellence, inclusion, diversity, fairness, equity, opportunity – will be featured over the course of the campaign.

If you’d like to load the videos directly to your school’s website or social media channels, head to this cloud storage link and take your pick. The videos feature Aussie icons such as Kurt Fearnley, Deborah Mailman and Juanita Phillips sharing beautifully the stories of how Australian #PublicEducation shaped their lives.

Hooray for Principals' Day!

Above: Principal Mandy Hollis is just one of the school leaders we can celebrate on 7 August this year! Share your celebrations on social media with the hashtag #PrincipalsDay2020 so others can find and share your stories too.

Thanks to the Australian Primary Principals' Association (APPA) for this story

Australian Primary Principals’ Day, held this year on Friday, 7 August 2020, is an opportunity for celebrating the work done by principals in primary schools across our nation.

This year we’ve seen, perhaps more clearly than ever, the true capacity and calibre of our principals as they stepped up to the challenge of leadership through COVID-19.

We’ve realised afresh the real strength of the contribution they bring every day to their respective schools, staff members, students, families and the wider community. It’s fitting that so many have commented on ‘a fresh understanding and perception of the profession’. We are indebted to them in so many ways.

Take this opportunity to celebrate the principals in your local schools, on Friday 7 August! Be creative and innovative as you acknowledge and thank them for the incredible and valuable work they do, every day and year-round.

NBN funding relief

The National Broadband Network has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of an ongoing education relief assistance package

Currently the package - designed to help families who struggle to provide adequate internet connectivity for learning - is available until 30 September 2020, but this may be extended.

The NBN says...

We want to reach two key audiences:

1.     Families facing financial hardship

2.     Teachers and educators who can share this information with families they believe may benefit.

We are hoping to ensure all eligible families in need are fully aware of the offers available to them at this time.

We are aware that many people who are not connected to broadband may find it difficult to access these social media channels but we also understand that some of these people do have access through their mobile phones.

Also, we hope that the teachers and educators who see this campaign will be able to help guide and/or support those in need to take advantage of the offer.

Find out more about the NBN relief package here.

VET myth buster webinar for parents

For many parents, the subject of VET (vocational education and training) is the most confusing in education.

The Australian Parents Council is presenting a free webinar, open to all parents, including a panel of experts who can answer a wide range of questions. The information includes topics like student subject choice, qualification meanings, employment prospects, career development, university access and pastoral care.

The myth-busting approach will help any parent wondering what's available for students at school and beyond, the range of careers VET can lead to, and whether VET courses can still lead to university, too.

Save the date: Thursday 27 August 2020, from 7:30–9:30pm

Essential! Book your free tickets here http://bit.ly/38hBHGE 

Walk safely to school 

Winter might still be chilly but spring is on the way, and the landmark national event Walk Safely To School Day is a beautiful way to herald the change of seasons.

This year WSTSD occurs on 11 September. Read all about it in ACSSO's media release, here.

Financial wellbeing message

This story provided by The Wealth Academy

In recent years the Australian Government has placed increasing importance on improving the financial capability of Australians.

When more Australians are in control of their financial lives, everyone benefits.

Collaboration across the government, business, community, education and research sectors to support strong financial capabilities in individuals, families and in communities makes a difference.

A range of factors influence the financial decisions people make every day. Life can be complicated and the types of decisions we need to make change over time. The way we manage our money today may not reflect our financial needs in the future.

Source: https://financialcapability.gov.au/strategy/#introduction

The Wealth Academy strives to help schools to improve the financial capability and wellbeing of all students in their community. We believe a successful future includes the need to have skills and knowledge to make informed financial decisions.

If you have ideas for further supporting the financial capability of your students, especially those that involve collaboration with the community, please let us know.

Contact Ken Swan at The Wealth Academy.

Have your say on myfuture

Respond to the myfuture annual website user survey by Sunday 16 August and you can also opt in to a draw to win one of two $100.00 Prezzee smart eGift cards!

This is always a good chance to think about how well you're receiving information and how it could be presented to you more clearly.

Find the survey here.

Apply for Schools Plus grants

The 2020 Schools Plus grant applications open 20 July for projects that improve learning outcomes. 

Funding from $20,000 to $250,000 is available for individual and cluster schools. You can submit a simple Expression of Interest (EOI) before 7 September to be matched with a donor. 

Schools Plus is a national organisation that provides funding to schools in disadvantaged communities. Since 2015, Schools Plus has funded more than 700 projects affecting more than 230,000 students and 12,500 teachers. 

Schools eligible for support through Schools Plus have a value below 1000 on the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA).

Visit www.schoolsplus.org.au/for-schools/grants/

Caught You Being Great!

Caught you being great, Highgate Primary School, Western Australia!

Principal Stephen Ivey came up with the idea to hold a recycled sculpture competition during isolation for students and their families.

Read more about this great concept on this Facebook post from Public Education WA

We love to hear your stories of schools and communities doing great things. 

Send your #caughtyoubeinggreat stories to comms@acsso.org.au and use the hashtag on Facebook to find other wonderful stories.

Save the date

With continuing uncertainty around in-person gatherings, we recommend subscribing to any information emails that conference organisers might be issuing.

• Parents Victoria – Friend not Foe – postponed, TBA
• ACSSO AGM – 31 October (online)